EACOP strengthens media ties to enhance awareness

DAR ES SALAAM: THE East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has reaffirmed its commitment to fostering strong ties with media outlets, aiming to ensure accurate and timely updates on the project’s progress.

During a press briefing in Dar es Salaam, EACOP’s Head of Communications for Tanzania, Ms Catherine Mbatia, emphasised the importance of educating journalists through specialised seminars and training to promote informed reporting.

“Our relationship with the media is crucial in providing the public with timely and accurate updates on the project,” Ms Mbatia stated.

The initiative also includes regular media house visits and field trips to project sites to enhance journalists’ understanding of the project’s impact and progress.

The EACOP project, which involves the construction of a 1,443-kilometre pipeline from Hoima in Uganda to Tanga in Tanzania, continues to advance as planned, with significant economic benefits expected for both countries. Ms Mbatia stressed the significance of keeping the public well-informed about the project’s developments.

She explained that by providing journalists with direct access to accurate information through training programmes and visits to the project sites, EACOP ensures transparency and minimises the spread of misinformation.

“Sometimes the public needs consistent updates on the project,” she added.

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“We use our social media platforms, but journalists play a vital role in delivering accurate and comprehensive reports, serving as a key bridge between the project and the community.” EACOP’s initiative to build stronger media relations includes organising field trips to project sites, which will give journalists firsthand experience and insights into the pipeline’s construction.

The initiative, according to Ms Mbatia, is part of the company’s broader effort to empower the media with the resources they need to provide factual, reliable and detailed reporting. She also highlighted the substantial economic benefits the project brings, not only for Tanzania and Uganda but for the East African region as a whole.

“The community should be aware of how this project will positively impact the economy, creating jobs, boosting local industries and enhancing regional trade,” she said.

EACOP, a collaborative effort between TotalEnergies (holding a 62 per cent stake), the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), Uganda’s National Oil Company (UNOC) and CNOOC of China, involves the construction of a pipeline that will transport crude oil from Uganda’s Hoima region to the Tanzanian port of Tanga.